Owen Gadeken

Dr. Owen C. Gadeken is a professor of program management at the Defense Acquisition University (DAU). He has extensive experience in program and project management, research and consulting, team building, and executive development. Dr. Gadeken’s primary focus is on helping program managers become more effective leaders.

For 10 years, Dr. Gadeken was director of educational research and then chairman of the education department. He has done extensive research on the leadership competencies of program managers and is an expert on designing and using management simulations and experiential exercises in training.

Before joining the DAU faculty, Dr. Gadeken was a project manager at the US Department of Energy Operations Office in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Prior to that, he served as an Air Force officer and civilian engineer working on missile development programs at the US Air Force Air Armament Center at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

After leaving active duty, Dr. Gadeken continued to serve in the Air Force Reserve. Achieving the rank of Colonel, he was the senior reservist at the Air Force Office of Scientific Research in Arlington, Virginia, where he helped manage the basic research program for the Air Force.